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Shook
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26Shake's dream of making the varsity basketball team is in peril when he gets injured. Can he rebound and make his way back onto the court—and back to feeling like himself? For fans of Kwame Alexander and Jason Reynolds.
Beautifully designed with illustrations.
"Absolutely vibrating with energy and heart, Shook is a masterful middle-grade novel." —Newbery Honor-winning author Jasmine Warga
Malik Page—though unless you're his mama, call him "Shake"—dreams of making the Marshall Grove varsity basketball squad as an eighth grader. Then he'll be on his way to joining the ranks of Chicago legends like his pops and late Uncle Kenny. But when Shake fractures his ankle in a championship game, he's sidelined for the first time since his first dribble.
As his world is turned upside down, Shake feels like there’s ginger ale bubbling in his chest and sweat slicking on his palms. With a best friend who’s getting more distant by the day, a growing silence between him and his dad, and varsity tryouts fast approaching, Shake will have to cross up every obstacle to find a way back onto the court—and back to being himself. Thankfully in Marshall Grove, the sky is always full of hope.
Beautifully designed with illustrations.
"Absolutely vibrating with energy and heart, Shook is a masterful middle-grade novel." —Newbery Honor-winning author Jasmine Warga
Malik Page—though unless you're his mama, call him "Shake"—dreams of making the Marshall Grove varsity basketball squad as an eighth grader. Then he'll be on his way to joining the ranks of Chicago legends like his pops and late Uncle Kenny. But when Shake fractures his ankle in a championship game, he's sidelined for the first time since his first dribble.
As his world is turned upside down, Shake feels like there’s ginger ale bubbling in his chest and sweat slicking on his palms. With a best friend who’s getting more distant by the day, a growing silence between him and his dad, and varsity tryouts fast approaching, Shake will have to cross up every obstacle to find a way back onto the court—and back to being himself. Thankfully in Marshall Grove, the sky is always full of hope.
- GenresMiddle Grade
Audible Audio
Expected publication August 4, 2026
31 people want to read
About the author
Julian Randall
19 books50 followersJulian Randall is a Living Queer Black author from Chicago. He has received fellowships from Cave Canem, CantoMundo, Callaloo, and the Watering Hole. Julian is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and the winner of the 2019 Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle.
His writing has been published in New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and POETRY, and anthologized in Black Boy Joy (which debuted at #1 on the NYT Best Seller list), Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, and Furious Flower. Julian has essays in The Atlantic, Vibe Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books and other venues. They hold an MFA in poetry from University of Mississippi.
Julian is the author of five books across three genres. For adults Refuse (Pitt, 2018), winner of the 2017 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and a finalist for a 2019 NAACP Image Award and the forthcoming The Dead Don’t Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi and Black TV Nerd Shit (Bold Type Books, May 2024). For younger readers: the Pilar Ramirez duology and the forthcoming middle grade novel The Chainbreakers (all from Holt Books for Young Readers).
His writing has been published in New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and POETRY, and anthologized in Black Boy Joy (which debuted at #1 on the NYT Best Seller list), Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, and Furious Flower. Julian has essays in The Atlantic, Vibe Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books and other venues. They hold an MFA in poetry from University of Mississippi.
Julian is the author of five books across three genres. For adults Refuse (Pitt, 2018), winner of the 2017 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and a finalist for a 2019 NAACP Image Award and the forthcoming The Dead Don’t Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi and Black TV Nerd Shit (Bold Type Books, May 2024). For younger readers: the Pilar Ramirez duology and the forthcoming middle grade novel The Chainbreakers (all from Holt Books for Young Readers).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was torn on this rating, but I think that my qualm stems from the fact that I read this digitally as a NetGalley ARC and I truly believe that a physical copy/final ebook copy would have the printing done better when it comes to the free-verse stylistic choices. As the synopsis says, fans of Jason Reynolds and Kwame Alexander will definitely gravitate toward this book. I could not help but think that my students who love the works of those authors would absolutely love this one while I was reading. This is a story of strength and resilience. As a former athlete who overcame devastating injuries, I could relate to the main character. The family dynamics, friendships, and school aspects felt realistic. Exploring mental health and anxiety through young black male characters is SO important, too. There are some current pop culture references that will “date” this book eventually, but I find that those kinds of things have charm to them even when they are “out of date” later on. (Contemporary haters, beware!) Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I can see what it's compared to books by Alexander and Reynolds because the cadence of the book, a book written in verse with concrete style poems sprinkled in to show movement and depth. Shake is the main character, a kid who love basketball and has a great friend, Kyla, by his side until a few things happen at school and an injury sidelines him as well as his father which brings up a bubbling and sometimes crippling anxiety that he must learn to navigate. That means open dialogue including sessions with a therapist to learn language around what his experience is about.
It's about resilience, friendship, and family and is an endearing story that will be gobbled up by fans for sure. I felt like it had been done before, so I don't think it's unique, but it is part of a category of fiction that is necessary to build up.
It's about resilience, friendship, and family and is an endearing story that will be gobbled up by fans for sure. I felt like it had been done before, so I don't think it's unique, but it is part of a category of fiction that is necessary to build up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow! This novel in verse is for a young adult audience, but readers of all ages will find joy. It covers family, friends, resilience, issues of anxiety, mental health (particularly in young men), and loss. If you love sports - specifically basketball- and the Bull then this book will be a game winner. Highly recommend!
November 17, 2025
Very good verse novel with lots of layers to keep pages turning. Sports, anxiety, injuries, and home life drama provides engaging and captivating poems with a strong storyline and character development. Give to students who enjoy Kwame Alexander's novels in verse.
October 28, 2025
A masterpiece yet perfect for reluctant readers. This one should be a hit!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews